Committees Overview
We are pleased to present these committees at ConnectMUN 2011.
Security Council*
North Atlantic Treaty Organization*
European Union*
The Politburo of the Communist Party of China*
World Health Organization
International Criminal Police Organization
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
The Commission on the Status of Women
Committees designated with an asterisk (*) are Advanced Committees. Delegates with previous MUN experience will be given priority assignment in these committees.
Security Council
The United Nations Security Council was formed after the end of World War 2 to ensure lasting peace in the world and was charged with the protection of international peace. The Security Council has the authority to establish peacekeeping operations and impose economic as well as military sanctions to achieve its goals. Of the 15 member nations, 10 temporary members rotate every 2 years and 5 permanent members hold the ability to veto any resolution. Working together these 15 nations hold a powerful sway on the world’s affairs.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed in 1949 for the collective security of 12 countries bordering the North Atlantic from the Soviet threat. Today NATO has evolved into incorporating 28 countries and has intervened all over the world from Kosovo in Europe to Afghanistan in the Middle East. The most important aspect of NATO is Article 5 of the NATO charter, which states that an attack on one country in NATO is an attack on all. This measure has only been invoked once by the United States during the 2001 attacks.
European Union
The European Union was formed on the premise of improving economic relations between a few neighbouring nations. It now encompasses 27 nations across Europe and has evolved into political as well as economic entity. The European Union is unique because it has its own currency, flag, and anthem and sovereign nations. The European Union sets out to resolve issues between its members by peaceful settlements to avoid military conflicts. The European Union must agree unanimously to pass a resolution so cooperation is essential to success in the committee.
The Politburo of the Communist Party of China
The Politburo of the Communist Party of China (CP) is the only political party in China and oversees the internal and international affairs of the country. Members of the CP are appointed by the Central Committee, and have near absolute control over the political affairs of the nation. Generally, members of the CP may also hold office in specific regions of China and hold membership in other branches of China's government such as the military. For the purposes of ConnectMUN 2011, CP will follow standard parliamentary procedure. In addition, all proposed resolutions involving foreign policy must have unanimous support while approaches to national issues should have support from 16 of the 24 members. Furthermore, any resolutions that involve a member's department or region must have the support of the department or region's head; for example, any resolutions involving propaganda, the country's police force, major construction projects in Beijing, or the military must have the support of Li Changchun, Zhou Yongkang, Liu Qi, or Hu Jintao, respectively. Specific legislation from the PC is unavailable to the public, but delegates are highly encouraged to prepare for the committee by reading stories for from both Western and Asian media sources to glean an understanding of the party's past decisions and actions on human rights, privacy, population control, and control of media.
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) was founded on April 7th of 1948 in order to provide a specialized agency with an authority on international public health. The WHO works towards providing leadership on pressing issues which are critical to health. It shapes the research agenda, sets norms and standards related to wellbeing of citizens and monitors health situations within the world. Currently there are 193 member states within the WHO while 150 of these countries work towards strengthening this affiliation.
International Crime Police Organization (Interpol)
Founded in 1923, Interpol has become the world’s largest international police organization with 188 countries as its members. Since its founding, Interpol has worked to make international police co-operation trouble-free even in those areas where diplomatic relations do not exist. On a hierarchy, Interpol is located underneath the General Assembly and meets annually. On the same platform as Interpol are the General Secretariat and the National Central Bureaus. All three committees work in conjunction with Interpol in order to strive to achieve the goals of Interpol.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was originally formed in 1967, and consisted of five countries. This has grown, and there are now different formations of ASEAN for economic and geo- political reasons. The aims of ASEAN include economic growth, social and cultural development, protection and stability of the region, and overall development of the region. The inclusion of India, Australia, and New Zealand at the East Asian Summit was met with slight resistance by some the original ASEAN members. In October 2010 at the EAS, both Russia and the United States were invited as full members, bringing ASEAN to a +8 formation, and 18 member countries. Issues to be discussed include trade, security, energy, and regional development.
The Commission on the Status of Women
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is a commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The policy making of the CSW is dedicated to the advancement of women, as well of gender equality. The CSW meets yearly to identify the challenges facing women, and present policies to empower women, promote gender equity, and promote women's rights. Urgent problems are also addressed regarding women's rights, and suggestions are made for immediate action. There are 45 elected member states. This year at ConnectMUN we will have a male only CSW and a female only CSW. In the last committee session delegates will be bought together to discuss the proposed solutions to topics.
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